The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) is scheduled to send a team of eight amateur boxers and two officials to Cuba for a month long training and competition stint on June 2.
The team, made up of two policemen (Imran Khan and Dennis Thomas) and four members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) gym (Clairmont Gibson, Bert Braithwaite, Eon Bancroft, Ron Smith) along with Stephon Gouveia and Dillon Charles were selected by GBA’s selection committee on Thursday to compete in the Cordova Cardin Tournament from June 4 and the Roberto Balado Cup from June 19 to 23.
The Simon Pures will also train during their stay in the island-nation renowned for producing outstanding boxers.
GBA’s Technical Director, Terrence Poole and Cuban Coach, Francisco Hernandez Roldan are the officials accompanying the boxers in the capacity of manager/coach and head coach respectively.
However the association’s president, Steve Ninvalle has declared that the participation of the team hinges primarily on the acquisition of approximately three million dollars, two of which is just for airfare.
“The airfare for one person right now is $890US for the month,” Ninvalle told Stabroek Sport yesterday.
“There is going to be a training stint and the two international competitions and in order to get the entire team there as it relates to accommodation, meals, and stipend and so forth it will cost approximately three million Guyana dollars.”
So how will the amateur body acquire funds to send the team?
“We intend to hold the hands of corporate Guyana and the government in order to make it happen,” declared the GBA head.
“Of course we have planned our own fund raising activities in order to move this forward.
“Again I want to reiterate the importance of participating at this competition, there are a number of Caribbean countries that will be in Cuba for the two tournaments and we need to evaluate where we are because there are other international competitions coming up later in the year.
“We have an order of priority that we would not disclose right now but in selecting the team we selected based on priority so in the event we only have money for one or two boxers we know who they will be.”
Khan, the 2011 Junior Sportsman of the Year will compete in the bantamweight division; Charles of Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) will box in the flyweight category. Gouveia of Harpy Eagles gym will take on lightweights; Braithwaite will compete in the junior welterweight division, while Thomas will take on middleweights. Bancroft and Smith are both welterweights.
Roldan, Poole, and GBA’s vice president and assistant secretary, Gordon Nedd and Kesa Chase made up the selection committee.
The Cuban stint is one of many geared towards maximizing the chances of boxers to winning medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
